How do I become a Spiritual Director?

I want to train as a Spiritual Director……What do I do next?

Attendance of a Hearts on Fire retreat. These are offered over six evenings spread over six weeks and provides an introduction to Ignatian Spirituality and ways of prayer.

Ideally the next step is to come on a Week of Guided Prayer. This is a retreat in daily life where you set aside 30min-1hr to pray each day and 30 minutes to meet with a prayer guide at the same time each day over the course of a week. These Weeks of Guided Prayer are also offered in various venues and churches throughout the country. (Opportunities for Weeks of Guided Prayer will be available from mid-January on our website.)Alternatively we also offer an inculturated retreat in daily life called Tsoseletsa which will be offered in Soweto and Tshwane next year. This is the equivalent of a Week of Guided Prayer but done in a group context. Details for these will be available on our website as they are finalised.

The next step is introductory level training in Spiritual Accompaniment. There are two possible routes at this level of training: Route 1: the modular Prayer Guide Training and or Route 2: the modular Ngihamba neNkosi Training

Route 1: Having done a Week of Guided Prayer and a Hearts on Fire apply for Prayer Guide Training. This focuses on equipping you for Individual accompaniment at a basic level especially to guide on Weeks of Guided Prayer. In 2017 in Johannesburg it will be offered from the 8th-11th July in modular format to allow people from all over the country to attend.OR:

Route 2: Having done a Tsoseletsa week apply to do Ngihamba neNkosi. This trains you to be a Tsoseletsa group Facilitator. This year Ngihamba will be offered residentially from the 23rd to the 27th of November

Ideally you may wish to do both!

If you are not clear which of these two routes is right for you, please email Margaret Backwell

The next Spiritual Direction Training Course will be offered in 2018/2019 in Johannesburg. This is an intensive two year training in 8 modules of four days each giving a total pf 32 teaching days. It is offered in modular format to make it possible for people from all over the country to attend. This is an intensive and demanding course which covers a wide range of topics including:

An in-depth understanding of Ignatian Spirituality

The Use of Scripture in Spiritual Direction

Discernment

An in-depth study of the Discernment of Spirits

Multi-cultural approaches to Spiritual Direction

Psychological Issues relevant to spiritual accompaniment

Helping People to Pray

Working with image of God

Many other topics.

Please note: For a full outline of the syllabus or more in-depth information on this course contact Annemarie Paulin-Campbell on paulin-campbell@jesuitinstitute.org.zaThis course also requires the successful completion of 70 hours of supervised experience of offering spiritual direction and twelve essay assignments showing integration of the course theory.

Those who have successfully completed the Spiritual Direction Training and who have made the Full Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius are eligible to apply for the Spiritual Exercises Training. This training is offered over four modules of four days each. It includes a close study of the text of the Spiritual Exercises and a variety of contemporary readings of and commentaries on the text. The 2017 course is fully subscribed but the next such training is likely to be offered in 2020.

We see the work of Spiritual Accompaniment as God-given gift which can be developed and honed through training and supervised experience. We look forward to engaging with you and discovering if this might be where the Lord is inviting you.

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